Noor Rehman was standing at the front of his Class 3 classroom, clutching his grade report with shaking hands. First place. Once more. His instructor smiled with happiness. His schoolmates clapped. For a brief, wonderful moment, the 9-year-old boy thought his hopes of becoming a soldier—of defending his nation, of causing his parents Nonprofit proud—were achievable.
That was a quarter year ago.
Now, Noor has left school. He's helping his dad in the woodworking shop, practicing to smooth furniture rather than learning mathematics. His school attire hangs in the closet, pristine but idle. His learning materials sit arranged in the corner, their leaves no longer turning.
Noor didn't fail. His household did everything right. And yet, it wasn't enough.
This is the account of how economic struggle does more than restrict opportunity—it removes it entirely, even for the smartest children who do all that's required and more.
Despite Superior Performance Remains Adequate
Noor Rehman's parent labors as a carpenter in Laliyani, a compact settlement in Kasur district, Punjab, Pakistan. He remains skilled. He's dedicated. He departs home ahead of sunrise and returns after dusk, his hands calloused from many years of crafting wood into items, door frames, and decorative pieces.
On successful months, he earns 20,000 Pakistani rupees—approximately seventy US dollars. On difficult months, less.
From that earnings, his household of six must cover:
- Rent for their small home
- Groceries for four children
- Utilities (power, water, gas)
- Medical expenses when kids get sick
- Travel
- Apparel
- Additional expenses
The arithmetic of being poor are basic and harsh. There's always a shortage. Every unit of currency is committed before earning it. Every selection is a selection between essentials, never between essential items and luxury.
When Noor's tuition were required—together with fees for his other children's education—his father dealt with an unworkable equation. The math didn't balance. They don't do.
Some cost had to be eliminated. One child had to surrender.
Noor, as the senior child, understood first. He's mature. He remains wise past his years. He comprehended what his parents wouldn't say out loud: his education was the expenditure they could not afford.
He did not cry. He did not complain. He just stored his uniform, organized his textbooks, and asked his father to show him woodworking.
Since that's what children in poverty learn first—how to surrender their aspirations silently, without burdening parents who are presently bearing greater weight than they can bear.